Ways to catch a fish?

Can you guys give me some ways to catch a fish? I have an emporer angelfish I would like to catch. Tearing the rock work down in a 220 gallon tank is not an option. I cant seem to even get close to him with a net. Someone said something to me about using a fish hook, but not sure if this is an option. Im open for suggestions.

 

Try leaving the net in the tank for a few days so that it gets used to its presence. Then go for it right when the lights go out so that you can stun him. Or in the morning when they come on.

 

I have tried leaving the net in, and he stays toward the bottom of the tank and sleeps in the rock work. But maybe I can try to leave it in for a week or so.

 

the fish hook and line, with a barbless small hook and small piece of prawn is a method I have used and it does work, although I have occasionally found that the fish I wanted to catch was often beaten to the bait by more enthusiastic fish that swam faster.

If you cannot find a barbless hook, use some snub nosed pliers to flatten the barb on the hook you do use ( the smaller the better IMHO)

 

Holy crap steve! you're all Mad Max about this!

 

have you done this personally? and yes I was told to file off the barb. Im just a little uneasy doing it that way because of like you said, I might get the wrong fish. But I have to figure something out. He has cost me a great deal of money with his new eating habits.

 

Well I am sorry you are having problems but there is a good lesson to be learned from this. I have gotten several fish out of tanks for friends using this method. It does work if you can catch the target fish. Just be carefull not to pull too hard and remove the barb as Steve suggested.

 

I know someone that used the method I put down to catch a TANG. Just stun it with full blast lights.

 

Yes I have more than once

I have captured , Yellow tailed blue damsels, a Maroon clown, a niger trigger and other fish that I cannot recal right now using this method
its a game of patience and reaction, in that you need to try and target the fish you want, and move the baited hook quickly out of the way of any fish that try and intercept it
they hook themselves with this very fine barbless set up, they take and turn and they are hooked
as it is barbless you need to keep the line tight as any slacking and the line bows due to flow and this can result in hook pulling out
once they take the bait and turn, a steady pull upwards and out is normally succesful IME

I use UK hook size 22 barbless and 1lb breaking strain mono ( I got a lot of angling suppliers from work mates that visit China and bring bits I need with them) I add to that a single non lead shot in order to get the baited hook down through the water and to my target fish much faster (counter the drift caused by the wavemakers)

 

i would syphon out the water until there is only about 3-4 inches of water and try to catch him with the net that way. i have never ehard of the hook and bait method.

they also sell traps specifically for this purpose.